What is Azithromycin and what conditions does it treat

Azithromycin is an antibiotic that has various uses. It is used to treat conditions such as sexually transmitted infections chlamydia and traveller’s diarrhoea. It works by killing the bacteria that causes both these medical conditions. Traveller’s diarrhoea is a common condition for those travelling to a range of different countries, especially parts of Africa, South-East Asia, Pakistan and India. 

What is traveller’s diarrhoea

Traveller’s diarrhoea is a common condition affecting 20-50% of international traveller’s. It usually occurs during the first two weeks of travel to a foreign country, especially in the developing world where it can affect up to 60% of traveller’s. Symptoms include passing three or more unformed stools within 24 hours, often accompanied by nausea, stomach pain, bloating, vomiting and/or fever.

It is important to take the suggested dosage of Azithromycin before symptoms become any worse.  The organisms that cause traveller's diarrhoea include bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella.

How does Azithromycin treat traveller’s diarrhoea

Azithromycin is a first-line antibiotic treatment for traveller’s diarrhoea. It is an antibiotic that kills diarrhoea-causing bacteria and reduces the symptoms and duration of this illness, especially when taken with Loperamide.